Collection Management

In Collections Management 101 for Executors and Estate Attorneys, Heritage Auction Galleries, Nov./Dec. 2008, at 4, the importance of keeping detailed and accurate records of the contents of collections is emphasized.

For example, records of collectible items should contain the following information (adjusted, of course, to the exact type of property):

• object type
• title
• maker
• medium
• size
• inscriptions
• signature
• subject
• date
• manner of acquisition
• cost and date purchased
• where kept
• provenance
• special notes
• photographs
• scanned copies of all relevant documents